Ipswich High School's boys' lacrosse team was forced to forfeit its Division 4 state semifinal game against Cohasset after six players were suspended for violating the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) rules against tobacco use. The suspensions stemmed from a photograph circulating after graduation showing seven senior boys, six of whom were lacrosse players, appearing to smoke cigars at a local beach.
Controversy erupted when parents of the suspended players claimed the cigars were fake, made from chamomile and English breakfast tea, not tobacco. They presented a supermarket receipt as proof, but school administrators later stated the receipt's date and time were smudged. Further investigation by Principal Jonathan Mitchell at the Shaw's grocery store revealed the tea purchases were made on June 8 at 1:03 p.m., approximately 20 minutes *after* families were notified of the potential rules violation via email at 12:41 p.m.
Ipswich schools Superintendent Brian J. Blake and Principal Mitchell also accused parents of attempting a cover-up, pointing to a second, deleted photo from a parent's Facebook page showing "the cigars smoked down significantly; a cloud of smoke surrounding one of the students; and a torch-type lighter visible." They concluded that the evidence, including the timing of the tea purchase and the additional photo, indicated the cigars were real and a violation of the chemical health policy had occurred. The remaining 11 available players voted "overwhelmingly" to forfeit the game in solidarity.
